Introduction
This blog will serve as a professional and hopefully entertaining review of the work I do in Mombasa, Kenya through Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) and the House of Courage (HOC) from May 23rd 2007-August 7th, 2007.
About myself:
I, Ben Marcy, am a second year graduate student at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. I am a candidate for Master's of Public Policy (MPP). I am working on a self-design concentration of community development and civic engagement. Too often we think of development in economic terms of tangible product and traditional measured growth. My degree is focusing on understanding the distinctions of a community and finding common ground for change if it is desired among the people. Essentially, this is engaging the public in the policy formation.
This program has been a culmination of work and defining my self-interest for working in Kenya. I began the process of filing application forms with FSD in early February. I listed my interests in working with youth and new forms of education. I have worked in clerical work for the Positive Care Clinic (HIV/AIDS Clinic) of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) for the last several years and have a personal interest in where the HIV/AIDS issues are moving. As well I am also a theatre enthusiast and have previously worked as a player in a sketch comedy group, LunchBox Voodoo, at Eastern Illinois University.
Currently, I work with a student group called Cedar Humphrey Action for Neighborhood Collaborative Engagement (CHANCE) at the Humphrey Institute. This group seeks to foster and promote community-building and civic engagement among Humphrey Institute students, staff, and faculty in order that the Institute forms positive, sustainable relationships with surrounding communities and those it affects. We mainly focus on Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood of Minneapolis, which has a very diverse community of populations including people from East Africa and South Asia.
With all this on my application papers I sent to FSD in early February, I was given a truly unique offer. I was offered an internship working with the HOC. In 2000, an outbreak of cholera in Kisauni led the Ministry of Health to mobilize local secondary school students to conduct outreaches within the community to prevent the spread of the disease. After the cholera was contained, the group of students decided to continue with their community outreach work and tackle other pressing issues such as HIV/AIDS. This led to the formation of House of Courage as a youth centered community group using participatory theater to improve public health in the Kisauni Division of Mombasa District. Recently, HOC recently attended training in Nairobi to conduct a Good Governance Puppetry program that raises awareness on issues of corruption, voter registration and the importance of voting, peace, security, conflict resolution and any other issues facing the community. HOC is also carrying out Abstinence for Youth Program to encourage students in primary and secondary schools to practice abstinence in lieu of the high level of sexual activity noted among youth.
As to my final placement and work I will be doing it is uncertain. I will have more details in the coming week about what project I will be taking on and the course of the work. Please, keep reading and checking for more to come.
Comments
Wishing you well on your long trip! We will miss you, but know you are doin good works!
luv to you!
Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom
Posted by: Dawn | May 13, 2007 02:11 AM
Ben,
I'm very proud of the journey you're taking this summer. It's always been my hope that you meet life with enthusiasm, accepting challenges with the understanding that there can be many diverse ways to solve problems and provide solutions. Remembering how fortunate we are, we must always keep in mind our commitment of compassion to those less fortunate.
The universal African concept "ubuntu" applies here describing a sense of one's own existence being enriched by those around us, and that a person becomes human through their caring and considerate interactions with others.
Be safe,
Stay safe,
Dad
Posted by: Bob Marcy | May 13, 2007 02:34 PM
Ben -
Awesome blog! I'm looking forward to sharing our experiences across the summer!! Have a great time - I'm so excited for you!!!
Jaqui
Posted by: Jaqui | May 15, 2007 03:43 PM
Ben,
WE LOVE YOU!!!
We will miss you. Good luck on your journey! Have a very interesting and exciting trip!!!
Love Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom
Posted by: Aunt Dawn | May 17, 2007 03:56 AM
What an amazing experience you will have, Ben. I certainly hope you'll be able to connect as often as possible, because your trip will be my vicarious summer trip! Very best of luck coupled with great opportunities!
Posted by: Sandy Bauer | May 18, 2007 10:32 PM
Yay Ben! Best of luck to you, learn lots, take lots of pictures, create lots of memories, and do lots of good! I have no doubt you're going to represent the Humphrey well.
(Wow - and what a nice family you have! Love dad's comment.)
Posted by: Emily Sachs | May 19, 2007 05:59 PM
Ben,
I am so excited for you. This will be a great learning experience for you! It has been a pleasure working with you in the past few months in Cedar Riversdie. I wanted to make sure to wish you a safet trip once again. I can't wait to see you updates.
Posted by: Rhonda Eastlund | May 21, 2007 10:23 PM
Best of luck, Ben. We'll be following your travels. You make all of us whose lives you touched here at EIU very proud.
Sue
Posted by: Sue Kaufman | May 22, 2007 12:38 AM
We'll be following your travels closely, Ben. Be safe and know that all of us whose lives you touched at EIU are very proud of you.
Sue
Posted by: Sue Kaufman | May 22, 2007 12:41 AM
Congrats Ben! Watching you build community here, and now there, inspires me further. You're the culturally creative one! Just found that idea while reading the...Transulent Revolution ...and here you again ... finding another home in the hearts of our global family. Luv flows wherever you goes...so keep "rivering"!
Posted by: Marlaine Francis | May 24, 2007 10:50 AM
Ben
Happy Birthday and glad you made it.
t
Posted by: therese talmant | May 24, 2007 02:03 PM
Hi Mr. Marcy,
sounds like your adventure is off to a good start. I wish you nothing but the best of luck and good health during your stay. However, I hope all is not a bed of roses for you, because, well in the words of a wiser man than I, "travel is more than the seeing of sights; it's a change that goes on, deep and permanent in the ideas of living." So I hope you're challenged along with having fun :)
Posted by: Ms. Anderson | May 24, 2007 02:30 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN from the Good Old
USA. glad to hear you arrived safely.
We'll be glad to hear about your adventures in Kenya. LOTS OF LOVE
GRANDMA & GRANDPA
Posted by: Catherine E. Marcy | May 25, 2007 01:02 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
Hope you have a great one!!! Thinking of you with love!
Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom
Posted by: Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom | May 25, 2007 01:10 AM
Happy belated birthday and safe journeying. We love you and can't wait to read your stories!
Posted by: Scott | May 26, 2007 04:57 AM
Ben you do a good job writing. You must be filling your head with wonderful and haunting visions. Stay safe, remember the starfish story, where the person picks up the starfish and throws it into the sea and someone says WHY? there are thousands to be saved and you can't save them all. Ans the person said, I saved that one.
T
Posted by: t. talmant | May 29, 2007 09:36 PM
Ben,
This sounds like an eye-opening experience for sure. You describe things very well!
WE LOVE YOU!!! Thinking of you with love and good thoughts!
Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom
Posted by: Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom | May 31, 2007 04:10 AM
Ben,
This sounds like an eye-opening experience for sure. You describe things very well!
WE LOVE YOU!!! Thinking of you with love and good thoughts!
Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom
Posted by: Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tom | May 31, 2007 04:10 AM
I hope you have an awesome time discovering yourself. Be sure to take lots of pictures, not just of your surroundings, but of the people in them, because they CREATE the surroundings you find yourself in.
Posted by: Britta Grand | June 6, 2007 06:48 AM
Wow I would love to be able to run with you. Now that would really be a sight to have a young and old pale skin person running with a lifelong village member. I can just imagine the wonderful sights you are taking in. The hole for rain water sounds ingenious and sad at the same time. You will have some great receipes to show us when you get back statewide. Hope all is well and your new family stays well.
T
Posted by: Therese Talmant | June 6, 2007 05:55 PM
Very interesting sight. Hope everything is going well.
Posted by: george | July 7, 2007 01:51 AM